Engine crankshaft linkage



ENGINE CRANKSHAFT LINKAGE Filed May 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l I FlG i E BY Q /iflamkw-k Sept. 21, 1-937. s, w, THOMP N 2,093,495

ENGINE CRANKSHAFT LINKAGE Filed May 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FI'G.4

IlINIVENTOR ATTORNEY the shafts and power may be; taken from one or 1 the diflicultyof cooling thefrear cylinders.

shorten up the engine, the V-type has been pro-' UNITED ST TE PATE "OFFICE,-

2,093,495 anoint: OEANKSHAFT LINKAGE Seth Waldo Thompsom Essex Fells, N. J. f Application Mayw, 1934, Serial No. 726,429

7 Claims. (01. 74-44).

This invention relates to linkage of shafts particularly the crank shafts of internal combustion engines, but it will be of use in other. applications.

As is well known increasing the number of. cylinders-of an internalcombustion engine increases. its smoothness of running. There is a limit,.how-. ever, to the number of cylinders which can be: arranged in a straight line various reasons amongv which may be mentioned the limitation of the available length of engine in an automobile or other location and also, with air cooled engines,

posed, which, as is well known, comprisestwo rows of inclined cylinders connected with the one shaft. The V-type engine, however, encounters disadvantages of unequalwearanddiificulties of lubrication which are not present in the engine crankshafts by gearing, but such connection is.

with vertical cylinders. In order to shorten the engine and secure the advantages of the vertical cylinders, the cylinders may be arranged in a plurality of parallel rows, each row having its Y own crank shaft.

It is necessary, however, in order to have all of the engine cylinders functionallycooperate as a whole that the shafts should,

be connected together so as to hold them in proper;

synchronous relation and provide for the cooperationof the cylinders of. the engine to supply power to the propeller shaft or other driven mechanism. It has been proposed to connect the noisyxin operation and is inefiicient. as a power transmitter. 1 1

Itis the main object of the present invention to provide a connection between shafts by means of a link as distinguished .from toothed gearing,

1 whereby the noise and inefficiency of the toothed gearing is avoided and which linkage shall be. soarranged and constructed that: the mechanismv shall be smooth and noiseless in its operation at all times and particularly free fromv The invention is realized by connecting together by linkage, the throws on not less than three shafts, the power being applied to one or more of more of the shafts. The relative operation of the throws, on three or more shafts, on the linkage, and their interaction, will insure smooth "nected together by a link.

Wherethere are three or more power shafts the benefits of the inventionmay be realized by linking throws on the power shafts, but if there :5' are but two power shaftsa third or dummy shaft may be supplied andthe linkage connect throws on the two power shafts and the dummy shaft.

Other and ancillary objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention-- 1 Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line ll of Fig. 2, of an internal combustion engine embodying the invention, the upper portion of the engine being broken away and certain of the parts being omitted for clearness, the upper portion of the crank case and one cylinder being broken away to show them in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line. 22 of Fig. 1; 20

Fig. 3 is a side-elevation of the link for connecting the crank throws;

Fig. .4 is a. partial section on the line 4& of Fig. 5 of an internal combustion engine having a different arrangement of cylinders and form;of throw linkage, the upper portion of the engine being shown in end elevation and partly broken away;

Fig. 5 is'a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig.6 is a fragmentary view, the same being an end elevation, of a portion of an engine showing the crank shaft arrangement with a modified form of linkage; and

' Fig. '7 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 6. 3

Referring to-the drawings, and first to Figs. 1

to 3 inclusive, the six cylinder internal combustion engine therein shown comprises the crank case I on which are mounted the two rows of parallel cylinders, one including the three cylin- 4g) ders 2, and the other the three cylinders 3, provided with suitable ignition and timing means, valve mechanism, fuel supply and exhaust in a manner as is well understood in connection with internal combustion engines and need not be further referred to.

The pistons in the cylinders 2 are respectively connected by' piston rods 4,. 5 and 6 with the throws, that is the throws or cranks, l, 8 and 9 of the crank shaft 10 journaled in the webs H, I 2, l3 and i4 secured to the crank case. Similarly the piston rods l5, l6 and ll of the cylinders 3 respectively, are connected with the throws or cranks l8, l9 and 20 of the crank shaft 2| journaled in the webs ll, l2, l3 and [4. It will be III seen that the axes of the crank shafts I0 and 2| are parallel, and parallel with them, but out of line therewith, is a third shaft 22 journaled in the webs |2, I3 and M. The shaft 22, it will be seen, is what may be characterized as a dummy shaft in that it is not a crank shaft and may serve neither to receive nor deliver power although power may be taken from this shaft if desired.

Fixed upon the shafts I0, 22 and 2 respectively are the crank arms or throws 23, 24 and 25 which may be suitably counterweighted by weights 26, 21 and 28, the crank arms having respectively crank pins 23, 3t! and 3| rotatably mounted in the rigid integral link 32. It will be noted that the cranks 23, 24 and 25 are of the same length and as so linked together are parallel and all turn together, the link 32 describing a circular movement and maintaining all of its positions parallel at all times. The flywheel 33 may be fixed upon any or all of the shafts ID, 22 or 2|, in this instance a flywheel 33 being shown fixed upon the shaft 2|.

With this arrangement of supplying the third shaft (in this case a dummy), the connection between the crank shafts l0 and 2| is obtained by means of a link instead of the inefficient and noisy toothed gearing, and at the same time smooth running of the engine as a whole without jars or dislocation, especially at dead centers, is avoided.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 there is therein shown an arrangement whereby the six cylinder engine has its cylinders arranged in three parallel rows of two each whereby the cooling of the cylinders, especially air cooling, may be more efficiently accomplished by having two cylinders in a row rather than more. Also in this modified engine embodying the invention, the three rows of cylinders having three crank shafts, the addition of a dummy shaft is unnecessary but the three crank shafts provide the necessary three shafts to realize the advantages of the invention. Also the three linked shafts are shown as being in line and the connecting link is straight. Thus the structure of Figs. 4 and 5 comprises the three rows of cylinders comprising respectively the two cylinders 36, 35 and 35 of each row. The cylinders 34 of one row have the piston rods 31 and 38 connected with the throws or cranks 39 and 40 on the crank shaft 3|, the pistons of the two cylinders 35 are respectively connected by the piston. rods 42 and 43 with the throws 44 and 45 on the crank shaft 46 and the pistons of the two cylinders 35 are respectively connected by the piston rods 4! and 48 with the throws 49 and 5!] upon the crank shaft 5|. Also fixed upon the crank shaft 45 is a flywheel 52.

Mounted upon the cranks 39, 44 and 49 is a straight integral link 53 which is journaled upon the crank pins 54, 55 and 56 of the throws respectively, the crank pins being made long enough so that the link 53 may be placed on them alongside the piston rods. In this way additional cranks for the link are made unnecessary, the link using the piston rod throws. The link may be counterbalanced by weights 51, 58 and 59. With the three shafts linked together as described, smooth running of the engine and freedom from shocks or disclocation of the parts at any time is assured.

Referring to Figs. 6 and '7, there is therein shown a slight modification of the structure of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, wherein the dummy shaft 22 has its axis in line with the axes of the crank shafts I0 and 2| and has the flywheel 33' mounted upon it. Also the connecting link 32 between the shafts is shown as straight.

While the invention has been illustrated in what are considered its best applications it may have other embodimentswithout departing from its spirit and is not therefore limited to the structures shown in the drawings.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with three or more parallel shafts, of a throw on each of said shafts, linkage connecting the throws of said shafts, a throw on each of said shafts being journaled in one link and means for applying power to a plushafts ing iournaled in one link, linkage con' necting the throws of said shafts and means for applying power to a plurality of said shafts independently of said linkage.

3. The combination with three parallel shafts,

of a throw on each of said shafts, linkage connecting the said throws of said shafts, a throw on each of said shafts being journaled in one link and means for applying power to each of two of said shafts independently of said linkage.

4. The combination with three parallel shafts, of a throw on each of said shafts, linkage connecting the said throws of said shafts, a throw on each of said shafts being journaled in one link and means for applying power to each of said three shafts independently of said linkage.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality of rows of cylinders, a plurality of crank shafts parallel to each other,

there being one crank shaft for each of said rows of cylinders, and each of said shafts having a throw, pistons in said cylinders, driving connections between the pistons of each row of cylinders and its corresponding crank shaft, an additional shaft having a throw and a rigid link connecting throws on said crank shafts and on said additional shaft.

6. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination three or more rows of cylinders, each row comprising a plurality of cylinders, a plurality of parallel crank shafts one corresponding to each of said rows of cylinders and having throws, pistons in said cylinders, means for connecting the pistons of each row with their respective throws on their respective crank shafts and a rigid link connecting throws on all of said crank shafts.

'7. An internal combustion engine comprising in combination three or more parallel crank shafts,-

cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and means for operatively connecting said pistons with said crank shafts, said crank shafts having throws and a rigid link connecting throws on all of said shafts, said pistons being connected with said shafts independently of said link.

SETH WALDO THOMPSON. 

